New BBC TV show The Traitors – set in Highland castle and fronted by Claudia Winkleman – has Twitter hooked
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A BBC reality TV show set in a stunning Ross-shire castle has gripped the nation and sparked fierce debate on social media.
The Traitors, fronted by Claudia Winkleman, is being described as everything from "one of the best pieces of television I've seen for a long time" to "utter chaos" and "brilliantly manipulative".
It is set in Ardross Castle in Easter Ross, some 30 minutes drive from Inverness and accessible from the city's airport in under an hour.
In the show, contestants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds compete for a £120,000 prize pot by taking on a variety of challenges and trying to discover who are the traitors – known to viewers – amongst them.
RELATED: Back-stabbing, intrigue and murder as Easter Ross castle thrust into prime-time spotlight
There are regular "murders" at night when The Faithful banish one of their own in error and leave The Traitors to plot on in secret. Already in the first three episodes there have been tears, tantrums, near emotional breakdowns and false accusations by the barrowload.
The 12-part series on BBC 1 has landed amidst the month-long festival of football that is the Qatar World Cup and is already scoring with millions of viewers – at the same time helping raise awareness of the scenic charms of the Highlands.
Winkleman – well-known for her razor sharp wit and nonchalant demeanour on hit celebrity dance show Strictly – has been bowled over by her experience in the north, saying: " I have never been anywhere more beautiful than the Scottish Highlands in my life."
Some viewers have compared it to I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here while there are also echoes of everything from Big Brother to The Apprentice in terms of the backstabbing and developing psychological drama.
"I’m loving #TheTraitors on @bbc", wrote @Dickonfarmar. "It’s brilliantly manipulative but considering he is not a traitor…John is a nasty piece of work. The nasty and patronising way he spoke to Aaron in ep 3 was really unpleasant."
Nat Middleton, tweeting under the handle @NMCooks, summed up the feelings of many who have stumbled into it: "Anyone else watching The Traitors on BBC? I wasn’t sure after episode 1, but after episode 3 I’m hooked. It’s utter chaos, there is no logic and it’s so dramatic."
@davidjackson3 is also already on board: "The Traitors on BBC is genuinely one of the best pieces of television I've seen for a long time. @ClaudiaWinkle 3 episodes in and I don't think I've breathed yet."
Aidan, tweeting as @WDChampF1, reckons the Beeb has a hit on its hands: "All the people behind The Traitors on BBC give yourself a pat on the back it’s absolutely mint."
Maddy Smedley going under @MadelynSmedley, tweeted: "Cannot cope at the care home I work at all of the residents are watching #TheTraitors"
But, of course, not everyone is impressed.
"So over-dramatic and lacking all context for why anything is happening," grumbled @WillHopley on Twitter.
Tweeter @hola_pablo74 also finds elements of the show a tad over-baked: "What are the producers doing to these people off camera? How is it even possible to be this emotional after 2/3 days????"
And @1Peaz reckons the choice of suspected traitors facing banishment says something about racial divides in the country. He tweeted: "A show where you kick out the least “trustworthy” people. Funny how all the people of colour are the ones that seem “dodgy” to the predominantly white cast..."
And, of course, it's already generating memes based on audience reaction to the behaviour of contestants.
Find out when the next episode is screening – and how to catch up on what you have missed – here.
Are you enjoying The Traitors or do you fail to see what all the fuss is about? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk
